Family members and teammates of Jesús de Miguel were joined by Spain national team coach Luis de la Fuente and Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez at the player's funeral on Thursday, days after the 30-year-old died following an on-field collision.
De Miguel died on Tuesday, a day after suffering cardiac arrest in a collision with an opposing goalkeeper during a second-division match. His Tenerife teammates travelled from the Canary Islands to attend the service.
"It is with deep sorrow and genuine emotion that we offer our condolences and our respect," De la Fuente told reporters before the funeral. "It is the best way to show that the soccer community stands united, by sending a very warm embrace to all his loved ones."
The funeral car, covered in floral arrangements, moved slowly to the church in Navahermosa, a central Spanish town of about 3,000 residents that announced three days of mourning. De Miguel's parents were reportedly born in the town, though he himself was born in Madrid. He had helped Tenerife win promotion to the second division last year.
On Monday, De Miguel collided with Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono while contesting a high ball late in the match. Medical staff treated him for five minutes before he was taken away by ambulance.
Owono has voiced his remorse and offered condolences to De Miguel's family, which includes his wife and one-year-old daughter.
Spain's National Police have opened an investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter, described as standard procedure for a non-natural death, to examine whether Owono's challenge went beyond the normal course of play.
